It was certainly an England game to remember for young Swindon Town fan and autism awareness blogger Junior Skeates.
The eight-year-old local boy was in the crowd for his country's final group game of this year's European Championships against Slovenia which ended in a drab 0-0 draw.
But for Junior, who was in Germany with his dad, Sam, 35, and grandad, it was anything but a disappointing day, because at the end of the match, England defender Kieran Tripper gave the young boy his match-worn shirt.
The family, from East Swindon, said it was an amazing moment and he will be adding the shirt to his collection of Swindon Town shirts he's been given during his following of his local club.
(Image: Junior Skeates) Junior said: "It was great fun, I was singing all game and it was hot so I had to take my shirt off and waved my shirt over my head instead of my flag. England fans around me could see how much fun I was having and kept encouraging me to carry on, so I did.
"I kept singing 'come on England' over and over and then people started joining in.
"When I sang at one time all the England fans joined in and everybody sang it for ages, I was getting people I didn’t know kept coming up to me and giving me a high five."
The shirtless Junior covered in St George flags was shown on the live coverage of the match.
(Image: Junior Skeates) He added: "I was very surprised, as he came past me when he got subbed I just shouted towards him saying please can I have your shirt. He turned and looked towards me and my family and friends around me was then pointing at me and he then gave me a thumbs up and said after the game.
"After the game, he was walking off the pitch and I didn’t think I was getting it, but then he gave it to somebody from the FA as he walked off the pitch who ran it over to me, I was so happy.
"My Dad has said that he is going to write to him and thank him and to ask if he can sign it for me, once I’ve got it signed it’s getting framed and going next to my shirts I’ve been lucky to get from ex Swindon Town players Blake-Tracey & Kemp."
Junior will be a well-known personality for many Swindon fans, as he stars in his own YouTube channel raising awareness of what it's like to be a football fan with ADHD and autism, focusing mostly on his beloved Swindon.
Dad Sam said: "I am so happy for him, he has ADHD and can sometimes struggle especially when the atmosphere is loud. Yesterday was one of the first times I have seen him as engaged with the game when the stadium was as loud as it was, but yet he didn’t want to wear his ear defenders.
"We go home and away watching Swindon Town and he goes to every England Home game and has been to a few away games. His platform has helped people to recognise him and reduce the chances of him being judged, he can then continue to be himself.
"He loves to vlog his experiences on his YouTube Channel Juniortism and loves to highlight his experiences as a young football fan with ADHD and the challenges and experiences he encounters.
"Receiving the shirt from Trippier was the tip of the iceberg for him yesterday as he was already overjoyed after being recognised on TV a number of times at the game."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel